BY MECHELLE MOE

Late one evening, over a year ago, my daytime occupation at PerformInk came to the attention of a fellow actor. My attempt to sidestep this topic and have a casual conversation over a much deserved post performance beverage was squelched. Instead, I was lead into an exhausting, yet passionate, three-hour lecture on the relationship between local actors, theatres and critics. True venom spilled from the lips of this accomplished actor whose work has been highly touted in town as he discussed his lack of respect for critics and their work.

This wasn’t the first time I had heard such unflattering terms as unethical, self-serving or unqualified pinned on the vests of many critics. In fact, there is rarely a day that a critic or one of their reviews isn’t discussed in a rehearsal space or dressing room. They are the faceless evil hacks touting the infamous poison pen that has the potential to annihilate any production. They are despised for the very power that the community has awarded them.

Needless to say I couldn’t shake the conversation. I brought it to work with me the next day and discussed it with my publisher. A week later it engulfed our staff meeting and finally it was taken to the editorial table.

Welcome to PerformInk’s critic’s series–"Critical Condition: An Analysis of Theatre Critics and Criticism in the U.S." This seven-part series–launched in this issue–will address multiple topics ranging from the elements and function of the review/criticism to ethics and guidelines to critics’ credentials. We have sought out critics, theatre professionals, journalists, academics, assignment editors and theatre patrons. We will not only examine what it takes to be a critic, but also ask them why they do it and what purpose they serve. PerformInk will also take a look at shrinking arts coverage in the media and how a critic’s job performance is affected by schedules, deadlines, limited space and inevitable burn-out.

It is the goal of this series to put a face to criticism and to encourage a healthy dialogue between the two entities that love theatre the most–critics and theatre professionals. We hope to reveal that critics, for the most part, have no secret demented plot to destroy theatre companies or to crush actors; and that theatre companies don’t purposely test critics’ theatrical endurance with torturous productions.

I invite you–challenge you–to bring your voice to this discussion. Read the following story and the six others carefully, thoroughly and objectively and e-mail us your thoughts at critics@performink.com. This should not be viewed as an opportunity to exorcise any demons; this is your opportunity to get the answers to the question you have long asked–Who is the critic?

Home

Story 1:
Picks & Pans, Essay & Esoterica

Story 2:
Power, Money & Poisen Pens in the Real World of Theatre Writing

Story 3:
The Making of a Theater Writer